Programs for disabled, elderly and the poor will continue during coronavirus outbreak, N.J. says

Updated Mar 18, 2020; Posted Mar 18, 2020

Volunteers with Reformation Food Pantry in West Long Branch deliver food pre-packed boxes to clients in their cars as the coronavirus spreads. Normally clients would go inside the food bank and choose their own items. State officials described on Wednesday what they were doing to sustain government-supported programs for the poor and disabled.
Patti Sapone | NJ Advance Media

Homebound senior citizens, people with disabilities and families who rely on public assistance programs in New Jersey can count on safe state-supported services during the coronavirus outbreak, and will even get a break from some of the program rules, Gov. Phil Murphy announced Wednesday.

The state Department of Human Services oversees programs for about 2 million people in New Jersey who by definition are among the most vulnerable to COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus.

They are people with developmental disabilities living in group homes and institutions, people with mental illness and addictions, and those who can’t find work, a place to live or rely on home visits for meals and medicine.

“This is a very challenging time for all but most challenging for the people we serve,” state Department of Human Services Commissioner Carole Johnson said Wednesday during the governor’s daily media briefing.

“Human service providers are first responders in this crisis and the health and safety of those we and our community partners serve is our top priority," Johnson said.

The state Department of Human Services’ action include:

Automatically extending by 60 days cash assistance to welfare clients if their benefits were going to expire this month or next;

Halting suspensions of clients from welfare who can’t meet work requirements;

Authorizing low-income senior citizens and Medicaid recipients to receive a 90-day supply of their free or low-cost medications;

Dispatching care managers from the Medicaid program to check that isolated seniors are continuing to receive food assistance services;

Advising homeless shelter operators on how to disinfect facilities and carry out the six-foot social distancing recommendations;

Reimburse state-subsidized child care centers an additional $100 a month per child and pay based on enrollment and not attendance to keep cash flowing to the operators, Johnson said;

Providing flexibility to families to quickly hire workers needed to supervise people with developmental disabilities.

Some services will be temporarily suspended to comply with social-distancing recommendations. People with developmental disabilities won’t attending group employment and recreational programs for the time being, Johnson said.

A state employee who works in an office serving people with developmental disabilities said he wished the state would make other concessions to keep clients safe. The employee, who requested anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly about his job, said non-emergency, routine visits to clients in group homes were continuing without interruption.

Asymptomatic employees could be spreading the virus to clients -- some of whom are elderly and immune-compromised, he said.

“I’m most concerned about people living in these homes — they live within close proximity to each other," the state worker said. “How do (workers) do these visits and stay six feet away?”

Johnson said the department is evaluating safety risks on an ongoing basis.

“These are challenging times for those we serve, their families, our critical workforce, and the vital workforce of the community providers,” Johnson said in a response to NJ Advance Media.

“DHS has released guidance to community providers, held webinars with over 1,000 participants on this important topic, and continues to focus on keeping the community informed with the most up to date information possible,” she said in a statement. "DHS will continue to make the workforce a top priority as the situation evolves.”